cheezz

My daughter and I are taking a week long vacation (me from Los Angeles and she from Canada). Does this sound like a plan?

Day 1 - Arrive Seattle airport in the morning, rent car, drive up through to Mukilteo and ferry over to Whidbey. Drive up through to Anacortes and ferry over to Orcas. Stay overnight.

Day 2 - Pack lunch, walk on ferry to Shaw for awhile then back to overnight in Orcas.

Day 3 - walk on ferry to Lopez, rent bikes and see the island. Return to Orcas, retrieve car and ferry to Friday Harbor, San Juan. Overnight here.

Day 4 - spend day driving around San Juan Island and overnight there again.

Day 5 - ferry to Anacortes and back down thru Whidbey. Overnight in Whidbey?? Or continue back to Seattle and overnight there before returning home?

happytrailstoyou

When do you plan to have this adventure?

We try to avoid travel that makes us dependent on the Washington State Ferries. That said, these may help in your planning:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
http://www.visitsanjuans.com/

HTTY

cheezz

We are going the 3rd week in June. We need the ferries to get us there and need a car for the larger islands. My daughter wants to rent bikes on Lopez - I saw a video that doesn't show it as flat as I'd like as I'm an inexperienced biker in my 60s and only been on a bike once in the last 25 years. We were thinking of maybe skipping Lopez and spending more time on Whidbey on the way home. Would you consider Lopez a must-see?
Thanks so much!

happytrailstoyou

I can't advise about Lopez Island. I've never been there.

I have been to Orcas and San Juan Island several times, and I much prefer San Juan. I like the little town, I like the bus ride around the Island, and I like the delightful Roche Harbor area.

Others prefer Orcas Island. I don't know why. Perhaps they like to hike and bike there--two things I no longer do.

On Whidbey Island, we like Deception Pass, Pen Cove, Coupeville, and the ferry to Port Townsend. There aren't many places to stay on Whidbey Island and the reason must be because there isn't much demand.

There are lots of things to do in Washington State, and many of they are not in the San Juans.

HTTY

suze

I'd probably want to be back in Seattle proper the day before not still out on Whidbey Island, assuming your flying home from Seattle.

happytrailstoyou

In today's Seattle Times there is an article about best places to visit and hike in the San Juan Islands. Here is the link: http://seattletimes.com/html/outdoor...numentxml.html

HTTY

Bobmrg

HTTY, did you catch the article about Deception Pass State Park?

happytrailstoyou

Yes, I put it in my WA file for future reference.

cheezz

Thank you all for your responses...after doing a 360 on our vacation plans, we have ended up doing the Gulf Islands instead! Next year the San Juans...thanks again!